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NARS Adult Swim; Summer 2014 Collection Review

Okay so let's talk NARS. This brand has received a wide range of international reviews, from YouTube beauty lovers, glossy magazines, runway model makeup artists, beauty bloggers and many more. Basically, you name it, NARS has probably done it.

NARS Makeup Artist James Boehmer

If you have read my previous reviews on this brand, NARS is pretty amazing in it's own way. Only thing I would say that would need a teensy bit of improvement, would be the packaging. That velvet black is definitely nice to touch but me oh my it is difficult to clean.

Poolside rays

The NARS's Adult Swim; Summer Collection 2014 packs in quite a lovely array of colors but the one thing you absolutely must know about this brand is it's art of layering. Blending is an important factor here too, so if you know how to play with color, you are all set with NARS.

Summer 2014 Collection

Alright so moving on. The NARS Adult Swim; Summer Collection 2014 consists of 12 new items and the price list is as of below. Icy lavender and neon green lime are the colors of the season and is the perfect setting to a poolside cosmopolitan catwalk.

Having three of the items in hand, I actually thought of splitting the review into three separate segments but since the hassle of going back and forth between the price list had crossed my mind, I decided to compile all three into one full review. Don't fret though, I will keep my post short and sweet and straight to the point so that you won't get bored reading all the words that comes out.

Pictured above are my three items, one an illuminator, another a duo eyeshadow set and finally a single eyeshadow palette.

So let's start off with the two eyeshadow kits. Currently in hand, I have the Lost Coast Duo eyeshadow palette (RM120) and Malacca single eyeshadow (RM90). NARS has kept it very simple with their packaging, both palettes are extremely travel friendly and can fit to the size of your palm. Like literally.

That velvet packaging still bothers me a little due to my trait of keeping my things neat, but other than, both palettes do well with me otherwise.

Now remember how I said, you would need to have a knack for color blending when it comes to NARS?Well the Lost Coast Duo eyeshadow palette pretty much takes the cake for this as both colors are extremely sheer. Great for day wear, but if you are looking for something a little more flashy, you might want to try blending it out with a slightly darker shade.

Swatching it once on my finger does show some color but once you put it on the eyes, the color comes out slightly less pigmented than before. So to be fair in my color application, I decided to pack on the shade a little more than once just to show the color turn out on the eyes. Don't worry you can find out more about the swatching process below.

Price : RM120Quantity : 4gExpiry : 24 months from opening

Moving on to the Malacca palette, I have to say that this has to be my absolute favorite out of the whole collection. It has a rather shimmery green sparkle to it, and gives off a beautiful illuminating effect. If you would put the palette under white light, you would realize that it flickers back and forth between the shades green, blue and black.

This palette is one of the more darker shades in the collection so you could say that in terms of how strong it's pigmentation is, it definitely lives up to it. I like using it for blending purposes as you can see on the swatch test below but it also can be used to create that beautiful smokey eyes as well.

Price : RM90Quantity : 2.2gExpiry : 24 months from opening

Since I had decided to go for a day look here, I kept it simple and emphasized more on the 'Lost Coast' palette. So technically my base was purple, the outer corners were highlighted with the green/grey shade and finally did my blending with the 'Malacca' single palette.

Very much suited towards the look I was going for so I was quite happy with the outcome. Always remember though, to achieve the look you want, always layer and blend. It gives you that extra oomph with a very natural emphasis.

Finally let's take a look at the NARS Illuminator. Retailing at RM110, this peach champagne tone goes by the name Hot Sand and is in liquid form. Blending it to the highlight of your cheekbones, the illuminator adds that little something extra for a glowing dewy finish.

Swatch

Swatching it on my arm (now you can see the full array of colors) it was a little light on my skin but gave a sort of brightening effect when blended out. It also gives a hint of shimmer so imagine yourself sparkling like Edward Cullen from Twilight in broad daylight. (Though truth to be told, you might need to add a little something extra for that particular effect)

Price : RM110Quantity : 30mlExpiry : 12 months from opening

Full Look

I don't know if you can see the illuminator as it is highlighted on the cheekbones area but this is the overall look using all three products. I did dim down the play of the 'Malacca' shade as I was going out at the time but as you can see it still highlights my crease extremely well. I even tried using the green/grey tone in the 'Lost Coast' palette to highlight the bridge of my nose, and as you can see on camera, it does look more defined. I suppose it is always a typical play of colors when it comes to NARS.

Anyway if you are looking to find out more about NARS cosmetics, you can always head to their flagship store in Pavilion KL to try out their products. Their staff is pretty friendly so don't worry you won't get lost in a world of cosmetics when you are there. If you would like to find out more details however you can always head to their official website at http://www.narscosmetics.com/.